Crustless Pizza

I started making this because I wanted pizza night without spending 30 minutes on dough. What I ended up with is something my family requests more than the version with crust. It’s become one of our Friday night staples.

If you do want a proper crust, I have a great fat head pizza dough that holds up to heavy toppings. My pizza casserole puts the crust on top (genius for leftover night). And for something even faster, my 1 minute pizza bowl uses the same flavors with almost no cooking.

Ground Italian sausage gets browned and crumbled in a cast iron skillet until those little pieces almost form their own crispy base. Toppings pile on, cheese melts down into everything, and you broil for 2-3 minutes until bubbly. The whole thing comes together in about 15 minutes.

The sausage layer is what makes this work. When you brown it long enough (I give it a full 5-6 minutes over medium-high heat), those crumbled pieces get crispy on the outside and hold everything together like a crust would. I can lift slices right out of my 8-inch skillet once it cools for a few minutes. You can eat it with a fork, but picking it up is more satisfying. One reader, Tracy, told me she makes this weekly now and doesn’t even miss real crust.

This is keto pizza at its most practical. Each slice comes in around 0.5 g net carbs if you skip the marinara and bell pepper. Even loaded up with sauce and veggies, you’re well under 5 g per serving. I’ve been making some version of this since I went keto in 2012, and it’s the one I keep coming back to when I want pizza without any fuss. The whole thing is a true one pot meal, so cleanup takes about two minutes.

The topping combinations are wide open. I go heavy on pepperoni because the edges curl up and get crispy under the broiler, and that little crunch is everything. Mushrooms, black olives, and sliced bell pepper are my go-to for a loaded version. For another recipe with Italian sausage front and center, try my stuffed Italian sausage. And for a completely different base, my chicken crust pizza uses ground chicken instead.

I watch the broiler the whole time because the cheese goes from perfectly bubbly to burned in about 30 seconds. Two to three minutes on high is all it takes. I’ve also made this in the air fryer at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes when my skillet fits. Let it sit for a couple minutes before cutting. The cheese firms up just enough to hold together.

I brown the sausage first, stir in seasoning and a little marinara, cook any vegetables that need softening, then pile on toppings and cheese and broil until bubbly.

Key ingredients

• Ground sausage or pork – I use Italian sausage most of the time because the seasoning is already built in. Ground pork works if you add your own Italian seasoning. Ground beef and turkey are fine too.
• Seasonings and marinara sauce – A couple tablespoons of marinara give the meat that pizza-sauce flavor. I use my homemade keto pizza sauce when I have it on hand. Skip the sauce entirely for the lowest carb count.
• Pizza toppings – Go heavy. Pepperoni, salami, fresh basil, bell pepper, onion, mushroom, black olive. I load mine up and the sausage base holds it all.
• Shredded cheese – I mix mozzarella and mild cheddar (4 oz each). Provolone and parmesan also work. For a creamier result, stir in a couple tablespoons of cream cheese before adding the shredded layer on top.